Shafaq News- Paris

Paris Saint-Germain signed Spain forward Ferran Torres from Barcelona on Saturday on a contract through 2031, with the transfer reportedly worth about $57.8 million.

The 26-year-old reunites with Luis Enrique, who previously coached him with Spain, and joins the European champions after four and a half seasons at Barcelona.

Bienvenue à Paris ! ✍️❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/pS3RVLgW7N

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) August 15, 2026

Ferran made 207 appearances for Barcelona, scoring 65 goals and providing seven assists while winning three LaLiga titles, one Copa del Rey and three Spanish Super Cups. Last season, he recorded 21 goals and three assists in 49 matches across all competitions, including 16 league goals that earned him a share of the Zarra Trophy as LaLiga’s leading Spanish scorer.

He also arrives in Paris as a 2026 World Cup winner after scoring Spain’s extra-time winner against Argentina in the final. Ferran has 25 goals in 65 appearances for the national team.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq's government will send a committee to Jurf al-Sakhar, north of Babil province, on Sunday to review disputed land contracts and conditions in the area, with more than 100,000 people still displaced since it was retaken from ISIS in 2014.

The committee was formed on the orders of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and includes representatives from the agriculture, justice and interior ministries and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), AbdulRahman al-Jazairi, a senior member of the National Oath (Qasam) Movement within the State of Law Coalition, told Shafaq News on Saturday.

The committee will first visit the area before reviewing agricultural contracts known as "17 contracts." These cover state-owned land leased to farmers for periods ranging from five to 30 years in return for annual payments, with the possibility of renewal when the contracts expire.

"Babil's governor has asked the Agriculture Ministry to renew expired contracts that remain eligible, along with contracts covering land under the ministry's authority," al-Jazairi added, stressing that the committee's work does not currently include any changes to security arrangements in Jurf al-Sakhar.

He further maintained that security plans and deployments will also remain unchanged, including the presence of Iran-backed Hezbollah Brigades, which he described as the force holding the area. "Jurf al-Sakhar is an important pillar of security stability."

Turning to agricultural activity, al-Jazairi cited the village of al-Saeedat, where valid contracts remain in force and farmers continue to work without interference. Much of the dispute, he noted, centers on contracts that expired years ago and now require action by the Agriculture Ministry, which he indicated ready to handle the cases within its legal authority.

Read more: Jurf Al-Sakhar: A decade on, Iraq's displaced still barred from return

Jurf al-Sakhar, also known as Jurf al-Nasr, occupies a strategic position linking central Iraq with its western and southern regions. Iraqi forces, along with the PMF, retook the area from ISIS in 2014, but thousands of residents have remained displaced. Previous government efforts to facilitate their return have also produced limited results, with security authorities citing mines, unexploded ordnance and other security concerns.

The issue returned to the forefront in recent weeks after former lawmaker and Janabi tribal sheikh Adnan al-Janabi alleged that thousands of homes had been demolished and residents' property damaged. The Babil Provincial Council and governor's office filed a lawsuit against him, accusing him of making false statements that could "inflame sectarian tensions."

On Saturday, demonstrators gathered in Al-Musayyib district to reject the "sectarian rhetoric" and demand that the PMF remain in Jurf al-Nasr.

Muhannad al-Anzi, head of the Babil Provincial Council's Security Committee, placed responsibility for returning displaced residents with the federal government but pointed to tens of thousands of mines and remnants of war that continue to complicate their return.

Tribal figure Sheikh Muwafaq al-Amiri rejected descriptions of the forces that recaptured the district as "occupiers," while demonstrators called for mines and unexploded ordnance to be cleared and residents to return under security arrangements.

Shafaq News- Tehran

Iran and Oman have agreed on a navigation map for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday, setting out clearer routes for maritime traffic through one of the world's most important oil shipping lanes.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei described talks between Tehran and Muscat as progressing steadily and positively, despite the ‘’US efforts to hinder the process.’’

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has previously framed the talks as separate from any negotiations with the United States, with the discussions focused on technical aspects of maritime traffic, including shipping routes and vessel movements through the Strait.

Araghchi has also drawn a distinction between agreeing on navigation routes and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, maintaining that the resumption of navigation through the waterway would depend on Tehran's conditions being met.

Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of the world's oil passes, has remained largely closed under Iranian restrictions since Feb. 28 in response to the US-Israeli war, disrupting regional energy flows. The strategic waterway briefly reopened after a US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU) entered into force on June 18, but closed again amid renewed military escalations, with Tehran maintaining that corridor remains under Iranian control.

Read more: Hormuz shipping plunges with no oil cargoes crossing

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s State of Law Coalition, led by former premier Nouri al-Maliki, is preparing to submit three candidates for vacant cabinet posts, including senior judge Mohammed Sami and Lt. Gen. Qasim Atta, as political negotiations intensify over completing Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaidi’s government, a Coordination Framework source told Shafaq News on Saturday.

Sami, who heads the Internal Security Forces Court of Cassation, is among the figures the coalition considers qualified for the remaining posts, while Atta’s name has again returned to negotiations despite limited prospects of securing approval, according to the source.

The discussions among senior Shiite political leaders are focusing particularly on the vacant Interior and Defense ministries, two of nine portfolios left unresolved since parliament approved most of al-Zaidi’s cabinet in May.

Al-Zaidi has asked the ruling Shiite Coordination Framework and the State Administration Coalition to put forward qualified candidates capable of securing political acceptance “without triggering further disputes,” the source said, adding that the cabinet “could be completed next month.”

State of Law has been trying to secure the Interior Ministry for months. In July, it reviewed six candidates for the portfolio, including Atta, whose nomination faced domestic and regional objections.

Shafaq News- Al-Muthanna

Iraq has formed a new military command to secure desert areas in Al-Muthanna and Najaf provinces along the Saudi border following the withdrawal of Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) units, a security source told Shafaq News on Saturday.

Led by Maj. Gen. Emad Al-Maliki, the Badia Operations Command comprises three brigades covering Al-Salman and Busayyah in Al-Muthanna and Al-Shabaka in neighboring Najaf, the source said, noting that troops will be backed by armed aircraft and reconnaissance flights and protect the road to the Al-Jamima border crossing, which remains under construction. Local security agencies will fall under the new structure.

The command has already taken over Al-Qarya Al-Asriya in Al-Salman following the PMF withdrawal.

Read more: Iraq under regional pressure as neighbors threaten to strike Iran-aligned factions

Al-Jamima is being developed as Iraq’s second major land link with Saudi Arabia, alongside the operational Arar crossing in western Al-Anbar province. Baghdad allocated 200 billion dinars ($152M) for the crossing, the Samawah–Jamima road, and related infrastructure.

The reorganization comes after Riyadh accused armed factions of launching drones from Iraq against the Kingdom in July. Joint US-Saudi strikes later hit PMF positions, killing at least 20 members and wounding 32, according to the PMF, a state-backed umbrella of predominantly Shiite armed factions. Baghdad condemned the strikes as a violation of its sovereignty and pledged to prevent attacks on neighboring countries from Iraqi territory.

Security contacts between Baghdad and Riyadh have since intensified, with officials from Iraq and Saudi Arabia meeting US Central Command representatives in Riyadh on Thursday to discuss armed factions and measures to prevent further cross-border attacks.

Read more: Wednesday's US-Saudi attack on Iraq: What Is Known

Shafaq News- Middle East

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Saturday that three soldiers were wounded in an attack it attributed to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, hours after Israel’s strikes killed at least 11 people.

“Hezbollah violated the ceasefire in Lebanon by attacking our soldiers in the security zone, which protects Israeli communities just across the border,” the office stated, maintaining that the military then hit the command center behind the operation and only later learned that civilians were inside. It accused Hezbollah of placing them there “deliberately.”

The Prime Minister's Office:This morning Hezbollah violated the ceasefire in Lebanon by attacking our soldiers in the security zone, which protects Israeli communities just across the border. The Hezbollah attack seriously injured three of our soldiers. The IDF responded by…

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) August 15, 2026

Lebanon’s Health Ministry put Saturday’s toll at 11 dead and 11 injured. Four people were killed and nine wounded in Deir Al-Zahrani, while seven others, including three children and two women, died in Ansar, where two were injured. Lebanese media reported further Israeli fire and military activity across the south.

🔴ELIMINATED: Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan, a Hezbollah battalion commander in the Radwan Force unit. Hassan was eliminated in an IDF strike on a central HQ of the Radwan Force unit in the Ansar area in southern Lebanon, following a Hezbollah terror attack against IDF soldiers…

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 15, 2026

President Joseph Aoun condemned the attacks as repeated ceasefire violations, while Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called the escalation “extremely dangerous” and warned that it threatens efforts to stabilize southern Lebanon. He argued that the women and children killed in Ansar were not military targets and that any military infrastructure on Lebanese territory falls under the responsibility of the state and its army.

Hezbollah accused Netanyahu of expanding the conflict for domestic political purposes, blaming US support for enabling Israel’s actions. The group urged Lebanese authorities to reconsider their approach to negotiations and warned of an “appropriate response” if the attacks continue.

Read more: Lebanon's Hezbollah shifts to political fight over weapons

Shafaq News- Ankara

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that Turkiye would continue strengthening ties with Kurds across the region and protecting their rights, while predicting greater stability for Syria's Kurdish population.

“Syria's Kurds will have their share of peace and stability,” Erdogan told Al Jazeera, adding that Turkiye would support Syria's stability and that he planned to visit the country in the coming period.

Read more: Kurds in Syria

On Monday, the Turkish parliament passed legislation setting out a legal framework for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) under the “Terror-Free Turkiye” process. The law covers offenses including PKK membership, assistance and promotion, as well as crimes committed in connection with the group’s activities and terrorism financing on its behalf.

The legislation follows a major shift in the four-decade conflict between Turkiye and the PKK. Founded in 1978, the group has waged an armed campaign against the Turkish state since 1984, in a conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people. Turkiye, the United States and the European Union designate the PKK as a terrorist organization.

Last year, imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan called on the group to lay down its arms and dissolve, opening the way for the current process aimed at ending the decades-long conflict.

Read more: The Kurdish rebellion dissolves

Shafaq News- Beirut

Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Saturday accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of widening the war with Lebanon, arguing that the expansion of Israeli strikes and attacks on civilians serves his domestic political and electoral interests.

In a statement, the group also held the United States responsible for providing Israel with political and military support, criticizing Lebanon’s reliance on US mediation and guarantees while maintaining that Washington could not serve as a neutral guarantor.

“The Lebanese authorities must now comprehensively reassess their calculations in a way that safeguards Lebanon’s sovereignty and rights,” Hezbollah urged, pressing the government to adopt a more “national, courageous and responsible” position.

The group condemned the government’s approach to direct negotiations with Israel as “humiliating,” accusing Lebanese authorities of continuing talks despite repeated Israeli attacks and stated intentions to expand military action against Lebanon.

“Israel must understand that its attacks, violations and attempts to impose a new reality cannot continue,” the statement added, warning that such actions would meet an appropriate response in defense of Lebanon, its people and national dignity.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported earlier that an Israeli airstrike on the southern village of Deir Al-Zahrani killed four people and wounded nine, bringing the day’s toll to at least 11 dead and 11 injured.

The ministry had previously confirmed that an Israeli strike on Ansar killed seven people, including three children and two women, and wounded two others. Lebanese media also reported Israeli artillery fire near Aitaroun and Mays Al-Jabal, machine-gun fire across several southern areas, explosives dropped near Kafra, Israeli forces setting homes ablaze near the border, and two explosions between the towns of Al-Taybeh and Deir Siryan.

Read more: Lebanon's Hezbollah shifts from battlefield to political fight over weapons

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

Iraqi Kurdistan’s Al-Sulaymaniyah province has opened its first fair dedicated entirely to Kurdish books, bringing together 45 publishing houses and thousands of titles in an event centered on the language, identity, and culture.

Held at Family Mall under the slogan “Kurdish Books, The Home of Our Language and Identity,” the fair runs through Aug. 23, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. local time daily. Its stands cover literature, short stories, novels, history, and other fields, alongside rare works offered at discounted prices.

“This is the first experience of its kind for a fair devoted to Kurdish books,” supervisor Rawaz Hama Salih told Shafaq News, explaining that publishers from across Iraqi Kurdistan are participating to introduce readers to a broader range of Kurdish authors. Encouraged by attendance so far, he hoped the initiative would lead to larger publishing and cultural projects.

Visitor Mohammed Ahmed welcomed the availability of hard-to-find titles at affordable prices, calling Al-Sulaymaniyah the “capital of culture” and pointing to the convenience of finding literary and intellectual publications in one place.

Read more: Kurdish language: Kurdistan bridging dialects to preserve heritage

Shafaq News- Nineveh

Nineveh is seeking investment proposals for oil refineries and production projects as the Provincial Council moves to establish an oil company in the northern Iraqi province, its Energy Committee chief, Ahmed al-Abd Rabbo, told Shafaq News on Saturday.

Al-Abd Rabbo noted that the initiative could help develop the province's oil sector and eventually pave the way for an integrated oil company. The Council has also asked Baghdad to exempt Nineveh from the conditions normally required to establish oil companies, a recommendation still awaiting the government's response.

A provincial council member, who requested anonymity, however, cast doubt on whether the request will be approved, citing the legal requirements for establishing an oil company.

Under the applicable rules, a province must produce at least 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) to establish an oil company, while Nineveh's current production stands at about 38,000 bpd, he argued.

Nearly 55% of Nineveh's oil production is concentrated in several fields, including Qayyarah and Najma, south of Mosul, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Oil. The province has recently expanded its oil sector by restoring production from several fields damaged during ISIS's occupation of parts of Nineveh between 2014 and 2017.

Read more: Iraq ships 32.1M barrels over two months

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s Parliamentary Integrity Committee has opened a file into suspected corruption and major irregularities involving five hospital projects awarded to an “unregistered” and underperforming company, with their combined value reaching $1.26 billion, Committee member Salem Al-Issawi told Shafaq News on Saturday.

The case forms part of a broader review of stalled hospital and investment projects awarded in previous years, Al-Issawi clarified, noting that the five hospitals under his review were referred for investment in 2011.

Each project was initially valued at $145 million before an additional $107 million was allocated in 2020, raising the cost to $252 million per hospital. “The company has fallen behind on implementation, maintains no branch in Iraq, and does not appear in the country’s official company registry,” he observed.

One of the projects is in Al-Muthanna province, where Al-Issawi noted that the province’s only hospital, built more than 50 years ago, is currently out of service.

Read more: Corruption arrests in Iraq pass 210 under PM al-Zaidi

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Erbil

The US dollar closed mixed in Iraq on Saturday, hovering around 153,000 dinars per 100 dollars in Baghdad and Erbil.

According to a Shafaq News market survey, the dollar traded in Baghdad's Al-Kifah and Al-Harithiya exchanges at 153,100 dinars per 100 dollars, the same price recorded this morning.

In the Iraqi capital, exchange shops sold the dollar at 153,500 dinars and bought it at 152,500 dinars.

In Erbil, selling prices stood at 153,150 dinars and buying prices at 153,050 dinars.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi Turkmen Front parliamentary bloc leader Ersat Salihi called on Saturday for amendments to the Yazidi Survivors Law to extend its protections to Turkmen, Shabak, Christian, and other children abducted or abused by ISIS.

Salihi argued that the current law excludes many Turkmen children taken from Tal Afar, including girls and boys who were under 18 at the time. He urged Parliament's leadership and political blocs to place a presidency-proposed amendment on the legislative agenda.

ISIS captured Tal Afar on June 15, 2014, shortly after seizing Mosul and before its assault on Sinjar, abducting large numbers of Turkmen women and children, some of whom remain missing, he noted.

The group overran Sinjar in August that year, killing and abducting an estimated 12,000 Yazidis in atrocities internationally recognized as genocide. Nearly 2,900 remained missing as of August 2025.

About the Law

Parliament passed Yazidi Survivors Law No. 8 of 2021 to provide reparations for victims of ISIS atrocities and recognize crimes against Yazidis, Turkmen, Christians, and Shabaks as genocide and crimes against humanity.

Article 2 covers Yazidi children abducted before turning 18, as well as women and girls from the Turkmen, Christian, and Shabak communities subjected to specified crimes. The proposed change would broaden the child provision to include other affected communities.

The law provides financial compensation, rehabilitation, education, and employment support and mandates efforts to locate missing members of the four communities.

Shafaq News- Al-Anbar/ Karbala

Iraqi security forces arrested an Iranian national on Saturday over the killing of a driver from Al-Anbar following a dispute over the fare, a security source told Shafaq News.

The suspect had been traveling toward Al-Rutba in western Al-Anbar but was denied entry at Al-Suqour checkpoint on the Baghdad-Al-Anbar road.

While returning toward Baghdad, he became involved in a dispute over the fare with his driver, identified as Adel Abdullah Mohammed al-Fahd al-Nimrawi. The dispute escalated into an assault that killed the driver.

The suspect continued toward Baghdad after the incident before security forces tracked him down and arrested him at a checkpoint on the approach to Karbala, the source said.

He remains in custody pending referral to the judiciary.

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Erbil

Senior Iraqi and Kurdistan Region (KRI) security officials met in Erbil on Saturday to review implementation of Iraq's security agreement with Iran, focusing on border security, infiltration and smuggling.

Iraqi National Security Adviser Qasim al-Aboudi led the federal delegation, while Kurdistan Region Interior Minister Rebar Ahmed headed the KRI side. Al-Aboudi had arrived in Erbil earlier today with a high-level security delegation.

The committee reviewed measures already implemented under the agreement and coordination between Baghdad and Erbil over securing the border and preventing cross-border infiltration and smuggling, according to a statement from the National Security Adviser's office.

The two sides agreed to maintain security coordination between the federal and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) as implementation continues.

The security arrangement requires Iraq to prevent Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in the Kurdistan Region from using Iraqi territory to launch attacks against Iran. The groups have been relocated away from border areas under earlier implementation measures.

Read more: Iraqi–Iranian Security MoU rekindles a decade of border deals

Shafaq News- Al-Anbar

Iraqi security forces closed several main roads in central Ramadi in Al-Anbar Province on Saturday after a suspicious vehicle was found parked in the al-Adel neighborhood since the early morning hours.

A Shafaq News correspondent reported that anti-crime and explosives units secured the area and began inspecting the vehicle to determine whether it contained any hazardous or explosive materials.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s U19 women’s table tennis team won gold at the West Asia Championships in Amman on Saturday, with Nasma Moayad, Barin Shakhwan, and Athmar Aqeel representing the title-winning side.

Iraq remains in contention across several other categories, with the U15 team set to face Saudi Arabia in the final, the U13 boys and men’s teams reaching the semifinals, and both U11 teams advancing to their respective finals.

The national delegation will also compete in the singles, doubles and mixed doubles events as the tournament continues.

Shafaq News- Tehran

Iran's Intelligence Ministry announced on Saturday the detention of two French diplomats over alleged interference in the country's internal affairs, saying documents linked to a suspected espionage operation bore the signature of France's former ambassador to Tehran.

In a statement carried by Iranian media, the ministry said the diplomats were found at the site of a secret meeting during a court-authorized operation to arrest two suspects in a case involving alleged foreign infiltration and interference. Their identities were verified and Iran's Foreign Ministry was informed, it said.

The ministry claimed an initial investigation uncovered a broader espionage and foreign-interference operation involving covert contacts with individuals inside and outside Iran, surveillance of potential recruits and efforts to establish intelligence networks.

It accused the two diplomats of “previous violations of Iranian law and diplomatic obligations,” saying the case had been handled through diplomatic channels.

The ministry further noted that documents and agreements seized during the investigation carried the signature of France's former ambassador to Iran, and called on Paris to provide an official explanation.

Iranian authorities did not identify the two diplomats or the former ambassador in the statement.

Shafaq News- Beirut

Israel killed four people and wounded nine in an airstrike on Deir Al-Zahrani on Saturday, Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported, bringing the day’s toll to at least 11 dead and 11 injured.

The ministry confirmed earlier today that an Israeli strike on Ansar killed seven people, including three children and two women, and wounded two others. Lebanese media also reported Israeli artillery fire near Aitaroun and Mays Al-Jabal, machine-gun fire across several southern areas, explosives dropped near Kafra, Israeli forces setting homes ablaze near the border, and two explosions between the towns of Al-Taybeh and Deir Siryan.

President Joseph Aoun condemned the continuing Israeli attacks across southern Lebanon, particularly in Nabatieh and its surroundings, as well as the “repeated violations of the framework agreement, the military coordination mechanism, and international laws protecting civilians.” The attacks, which he noted killed an entire family in Ansar, sent “a clear message” to the negotiating track and US efforts to implement the framework.

دان رئيس الجمهورية العماد جوزاف عون الاعتداءات الاسرائيلية المستمرة على مناطق الجنوب ولا سيما على منطقة النبطية ومحيطها، وخروقاتها المتكررة لاتفاق الإطار ولعمل مجموعة التنسيق العسكرية وللقوانين الدولية بحماية المدنيين ما ادى إلى استشهاد عائلة كاملة من بلدة أنصار. واعتبر الرئيس…

— Lebanese Presidency (@LBpresidency) August 15, 2026

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also denounced the escalation as “extremely dangerous,” saying it undermined efforts to stabilize southern Lebanon. “The seven martyrs of the Israeli strike on Ansar are not military infrastructure, and the children and women who were killed are not military targets,” he stated, stressing that only the Lebanese state, through the army, holds responsibility for dealing with any military infrastructure on its territory.

إنّ التصعيد الإسرائيلي الذي تشهده منذ فجر اليوم مدينة النبطية وبلدة أنصار ودير الزهراني والقرى المجاورة، وما رافقه من غارات وقصف كثيف وترهيب للأهالي في منازلهم، امر بالغ الخطورة ويقوّض مساعي تثبيت الاستقرار في الجنوب.إنّ شهداء الغارة الإسرائيلية على بلدة أنصار السبعة ليسوا «بنية…

— Nawaf Salam نواف سلام (@nawafsalam) August 15, 2026

The Israeli military claimed its strikes on Ansar and the Ali Al-Taher area targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in response to an unspecified “action” against Israeli soldiers near the strategic ridge outside Nabatieh. The group did not immediately comment on whether it had carried out an attack there.

The US-brokered June 26 framework links a progressive Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon to the Lebanese government’s verified disarmament of non-state armed groups. Hezbollah was not party to the agreement and has repeatedly rejected giving up its weapons.

Shafaq News- Al-Anbar/ Diyala (Updated at 13:05)

Iraq’s Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) arrested an ISIS member and destroyed an ammunition cache in two operations in western Al-Anbar province on Saturday.

The suspect was captured after intelligence gathering and field surveillance, while a separate search uncovered munitions left behind by the group, which were safely disposed of, the Service noted.

In Diyala, the Military Intelligence Directorate detained two terrorism suspects wanted under Article 4/1 of Iraq’s Anti-Terrorism Law on previously issued warrants.

On Monday, the Security Media Cell said Iraqi forces struck eight ISIS hideouts within the Kirkuk Operations Command’s area.

ISIS lost its territorial control in Iraq in 2017 but retains cells in remote parts of Diyala, Kirkuk, Saladin, and Al-Anbar. During the first half of 2026, security forces dismantled four cells and carried out about 80 preemptive missions, while 479 arrest warrants were issued under the Anti-Terrorism Law, according to the Interior Ministry.

Read more: Iraq’s western desert from ISIS hideouts to new security challenges

Shafaq News- Baghdad

The Iraqi government is considering leadership changes at several state-owned banks over weak services and slow modernization, an informed source told Shafaq News on Saturday.

Managers would be evaluated on institutional development, service improvements, digital transformation, and their ability to expand access to loans, salary advances, and other banking products that could ease financial pressure on citizens and support economic activity.

Administrative measures could follow against managers who fall short, particularly at banks still heavily reliant on paper-based procedures, as Baghdad seeks to strengthen the sector’s contribution to the economy amid mounting fiscal pressures, the source added.

Read more: Debt without contracts: Iraq's shadow credit market

The potential changes come as the government pursues a broader restructuring of the state banking sector. A government source told Shafaq News in July that the Finance Ministry plans to merge Rafidain Bank with Rasheed Bank and the Cooperative Agricultural Bank with the Industrial Bank, alongside changes to staffing, branch networks, and electronic infrastructure.

Iraq has 81 banks and representative offices, one of the highest totals in the Middle East, according to the Eco Iraq Observatory. Despite the size of the sector, the monitor found that banking services remain below expectations and that the country has no fully integrated digital banks.

Reform efforts also face Iraq’s persistent reliance on cash. Around 87% of the country’s money supply, or roughly 95 trillion dinars (about $72.5B), remained outside the banking system as of June, according to figures provided to Shafaq News by Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi’s financial adviser Mudher Mohammed Saleh, limiting funds available for lending and investment.

Read more: Cash culture dominates Iraq, reform efforts stall

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Erbil

On Saturday, gold prices edged higher in Baghdad and remained constant in Erbil, hovering around 950,000 IQD per mithqal, according to a Shafaq News market survey.

Gold prices on Baghdad's Al-Nahr Street recorded a selling price of 950,000 IQD per mithqal (equivalent to five grams) for 21-carat gold, including Gulf, Turkish, and European varieties, with a buying price of 946,000 IQD. The same gold had also sold for 946,000 IQD on Thursday.

The selling price for 21-carat Iraqi gold stood at 920,000 IQD, with a buying price of 916,000 IQD.

In jewelry stores, 21-carat Gulf gold ranged between 950,000 and 960,000 IQD per mithqal, while Iraqi gold sold for between 920,000 and 930,000 IQD.

In Erbil, 22-carat gold was sold at 982,000 IQD per mithqal, 21-carat gold at 937,000 IQD, and 18-carat gold at 804,000 IQD.

Shafaq News- Kyiv/ Moscow

A Russian drone strike killed a three-month-old boy and wounded 11 people in Marhanets, Dnipropetrovsk region overnight into Saturday, according to Ukrainian media.

The drone hit a residential high-rise, injuring two children aged five and 12. Seven people were hospitalized in serious condition.

Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched 152 drones and other unmanned aerial targets overnight, with air defenses destroying or suppressing 127 and impacts recorded at 16 locations. The Ukrainian General Staff separately recorded 233 combat clashes over the previous day, alongside 71 Russian airstrikes involving 241 guided bombs and 3,042 attacks on settlements and military positions.

“There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”Leonard CohenThe combat losses of the enemy from February 24, 2022 to August 15, 2026. pic.twitter.com/y4NNcXc2Pj

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) August 15, 2026

Moscow, meanwhile, claimed its air defenses intercepted 598 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones over Russian regions, Crimea, and the Black and Azov seas. No casualty toll from those attacks had been confirmed.

The Russian Defense Ministry also confirmed strikes on military-linked infrastructure at the Ukrainian ports of Odesa, Izmail, and Yuzhny using long-range drones, including fuel storage sites, port facilities, and military equipment depots.

On August 11, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Kyiv had submitted new proposals to US negotiators aimed at ending the war. Moscow continues to demand that Ukrainian forces withdraw from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia and that Ukraine abandon its NATO ambitions –conditions Kyiv rejects.

The United Nations verified 437 civilians killed and 2,610 wounded in Ukraine in July, the highest monthly toll since May 2022, while the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission, citing “credible Russian open-source reporting,” recorded 250 civilians killed and 1,596 injured inside Russia during the first half of 2026.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Security forces dismantled an international drug-trafficking network in the country’s first anti-narcotics operation conducted deep inside Iraqi territorial waters, the Interior Ministry said on Saturday.

The 16-hour mission began at Umm Qasr Naval Base after several days of surveillance near the maritime border with a neighboring country, resulting in the arrest of three suspects, including a foreign national, and the seizure of 90 kilograms of hashish (concentrated cannabis resin) and two boats.

Iraqi authorities confiscated 16.8 tons of narcotics between 2023 and July 2026, while courts issued 380 death sentences, 150 life terms, and 190 international arrest warrants in trafficking cases. During the first half of this year alone, security agencies broke up 378 networks, including 59 operating internationally, and recovered more than 1,977 kilograms of drugs.

Read more: The Smuggler's Almanac: Iraq's war against narco-innovation

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Erbil

The US dollar opened Saturday’s trading higher in Iraq, hovering around 153,500 dinars per 100 dollars in Baghdad and Erbil.

According to a Shafaq News market survey, the dollar traded in Baghdad's Al-Kifah and Al-Harithiya exchanges at 153,100 dinars per 100 dollars, up from Thursday’s 152,750 dinars.

In the Iraqi capital, exchange shops sold the dollar at 153,500 dinars and bought it at 152,500 dinars.

In Erbil, selling prices stood at 153,000 dinars and buying prices at 152,900 dinars.